Herbs Popping Up In The Yard

It's April 9 and spring sure is slow in making its presence known. In fact yesterday and the day before, we had snow flurries. Today the temperature is reading warmer, but the howling winds still feel brisk! As I was walking around the garden, I noted several herbs that are emerging from their slumber. Here are a few of the many herbs:

Sweet Violet, not the common blue. Smells and tastes oh, so sweet!

Rhodiola. Looks pretty ugly now, but soon it will be filled with rosettes!
Ramps. Delicious wild food!


Angelica just coming up.


Celandine, with its bright orange sap. The appearance of celandine in the spring also harkens the arrival of tree swallows. Sure enough, I saw a pair today.

Coltsfoot, or Son-Before-the-Father, as the flowers show up before the leaves.
Maral Root unfurling.
Stinging Nettles - a power house of nutrients.
Sweet Cicely.
The joy of spring is that every day new life is shown.

Glorious Spring

We have enjoyed a string of beautiful, warm days here in Zone 5. Plants are popping out of the ground. Here are a few that are up:

This is Maral Root, Leuzea carthamoides

This is Pasque Flower (Anemone pulsatilla)


And here is a Double-flowered bloodroot I just bought at Well Sweep Herb Farm in NJ:
I will be adding it to the patch of single bloodroot I have established in the woodland area of the garden.

There are lots more showing their faces: sweet violet is blooming in the south facing beds, trillium leaves are up, hepatica is up and lily of the valleys are just pushing up through the earth. Dong quai (Angelica sinensis polymorpha) is there, as is Korean angelica, Dahurica angelica and angelica archangelica. True French sorrel and bloody dock are about 4 inches high. Catnip and lemon catnip are starting to grow again. Comfrey (Russian, white, yellow and "regular") are saying hello. Lovage, tarragon, coneflower, sages, licorice, osha, monarda, etc. are all happy and welcoming spring. There are lots, lots more and I'm like a 3-year-old clapping my hands every time an herb shows up again. There is true joy in gardening.